Feeding Routines for Happy Infants

Technically a newborn becomes an infant after reaching the age of one month. The baby remains one until one year old when he or she technically becomes a toddler.
This first year of life is crucial as the way you treat the infant can really affect how he or she will psychologically and physically develop as well as influence the baby's relationship with food.

One important thing is to not force a child of this age to eat. You should never expect him or her to finish a bottle or an entire job of baby food. Putting pressure on a baby causes both emotional and physical discomfort. The pain of overeating for an infant is due to undeveloped organs.

You should also never shame a baby into eating or make him or her think that eating is all about 'control.' This could result in a personality that becomes anxious, obsessive and a future over-eater. Many babies that feel controlled around mealtime rituals become anorexics or bulimics.

Another routine that can never be established early enough is eating at the same time every day. This type of habit tends to 'take hold' as part of your developing baby's instincts and also last well into maturity. It prevents snacking and overeating.

You should try to avoid buying baby foods that contain additives, coloring agents and preservatives. If you must buy commercial baby food rather than make your own then be sure to read the labels. You also want to avoid addicting baby to foods that contain MSG, sugar and too much salt. These additives make food seem so delicious that it will be very hard for you to get your baby to eat things that are less attractive but truly nutritious such as pureed broccoli or yams.

The same thing goes for sugar. The baby who eats chocolate pudding will prefer that over peaches or bananas for dessert. Shunning foods is too easy for an infant' sugar and salt are so addicting they will throw big tantrums to get it.

If you want your baby to develop a positive attitude towards mealtime then it is also a good idea to make it seem more sociable and exciting by talking to the baby about the food and how great it is to share mealtime together. This will make the baby look forward to eating with the family.

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Why You Need to Teach Your Kids to Eat Well

Eating well starts and ends with you. You need to teach your kids from a very young age when they are toddlers how to eat well so they do not end up like so many of the fat young American teens that you see everywhere today.

Eating well is a process that starts with you. First you must shop and cook well for your child and then you must teach him or her how to shop and cook well too. Teaching them about organic and whole foods keeps them healthy.

A child that eats well from a young age tends to be a healthier individual who is less likely to suffer from any kind of a disease. Kids that are well nourished tend to be more do better in school and have better memories. They also are more emotionally balanced and have a better ability to concentrate. This is especially true of the child that is not raised on sugar. He or she tends to be a calm, productive person who can retain information and focus on one thing at a time.

If food is approached in a positive way without being made into a reward then your child will grow up with a healthy self image. He does not need to resort to behaviors like anorexia or bulimia. You will also raise a child that is not going to use food for comfort.

Teaching your kid to shop and eat well has another benefit. Your child will have more money in the bank than most because he or she will not be spending a lot of extra cash on expensive junk food the craving and desire for bad foods that are laden with sugar, salt and fat will simply not be there.

If you raise your child to have a healthy lifestyle he or she is also less likely to get sick. He or she will be less of a burden on the medical system and also be able to keep money that might have been spent on medical bills.

Feeding your child well and teaching him or her good lifestyle habits is a gift that will last for a lifetime and keep on giving good health for many years to come. Even better those good habits will be passed down from you through them to their kids when they have them as well.

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